Ratchets and Sockets

Story and photography by Capt. Vince Daniello

Deep sockets often fit when standards won’t, and six-point sockets turn worn fasteners more reliably than 12-point sockets. My “stubby” ratchet (it flexes) swings in tight quarters, and the Snap-on extension allows an attached socket to wobble, providing a bit of flexibility with much better control than a universal-joint adaptor. (The Craftsman line now includes wobble-type extensions, too.)

I carry a set of -inch drive sockets starting at 5 mm and 3/16 inch, with a hand driver. This ratcheting screwdriver covers all the odd fasteners like Torx and Robertson (square), and doubles as a drill. Craftsman screw extractors remove stripped screws.